2-way radios on a cruise ship

[Sunlightlover]

I would like to buy a 2-way radio to communicate on a cruise, since our cell phones will not work. Does anyone have an experience with using walkie-talkie type of equipment on a ship? I read lots of reviews on Amazon.com and am a little confused with a huge variety of 2-way radios available there and a number of really negative reviews. Any recommendations for specific brand names and/or models? Would appreciate any advise from this forum...

Thanks,

Olga

[Scotsnomad]

Do not purchase a marine band vhf handheld.

 

These require a radio licence and also may interferre with the safe navigation of marine traffic and Distress.

 

Having read the various forums it appears that any walkie talkie is unreliable onboard due to the bulkheads, deckheads and various electrical circuitry onboard.

 

Some people have suggested 'post it ' stickers

 

Sorry I could not be of more help

 

rgds

 

:)

[omeinv]

We tried them on our first cruise (specifically the FRS radios).

 

They don't work if either person is on a different deck, or separated by a metal wall or floor (almost anyplace on the ship other than the open deck).

 

They also tend to annoy your fellow cruisers.

 

They have more value when you're ashore, if you're not going to be together.

 

The FRS radios are cheap, small and light.

 

You're welcome to borrow mine for your cruise, and see if you like them. Send me an e-mail at:

 

motorlessons - at - hotmail - dot - com

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Peery5]

Omeinv is right. We tried them on one of our cruises and they didn't work very well. We were trying to keep in touch with our children. They turned out to be very annoying hearing other people communicating.

[kitty9]

Harris, you are not supposed to take walkie talkies off the ship because it's against local laws. Many of the frequencies that are used in US walkie talkies are the same that are used by foreign nations for their civil defense, emergency response teams and local military. You can be arrested if found using them in many ports.

[pumpkin 11]

We tried them on our first cruise, and they didn't work well at all. We also found we didn't really need then either. They tend to just be disturbing to others.

[Woobstr112G]

I've never used them personally but have seen them as well as talked to others who've said they don't work very well. I've personally been annoyed a few times when the've been blarring right next to me.....

 

Bob

[We're The Groupnors]

We always take ours, but don't use them on the ship. They're great in port, and we have never had a problem with anyone telling us they are illegal anywhere except in Mexico, where I understand they are still legal, but only when purchased in Mexico. Maybe because we're Canadian and thus bought them in Canada they don't use the same frequencies as ones purchased in the US, and therefore can be used in most foreign ports.

 

Anyhow, they've come in very handy, and ours work at quite a range. The brand is Cobra.

[retiredldo]

We have used them and they are not as good as they could be, even many of the cruise lines were renting them but you dont see that to often any more, since they are really are based on a line of sight tough to get good communication on a ship

 

Me I like carrying the PRC-77 and KY-38 for secure comm

 

Pete

Edited November 27, 2010 by retiredldo
Changed title

[donaldsc]

I've never used them personally but have seen them as well as talked to others who've said they don't work very well. I've personally been annoyed a few times when the've been blarring right next to me.....

 

Bob

 

What would happen if you carried on to use in self defense and either held down the send switch or whistled into in whenever somebody was annoying you with their idle chatter?

 

DON

[hydrodriver831]

Took them on one cruise and used them the first day. They were so annoying we did not use them anymore. Have not taken them on any cruise since. We have found using post it notes and using the stateroom voicemail worked just fine. Hope this helps. Enjoy you cruise.:)

[kitegirl]

We have a pair of Motorolla walkies..... small, light, and worked like a charm on our two Alaska cruises. Plan on talking them on our first Celebrity cruise to Alaska next May..... (was pretty fun telling DH that I won at BINGO over the walkie....)

[Tapi]

We bought some Motorola Walkie Talkies with 8 mile range. They didn't work very well.

 

In order for us to hear each other, we couldn't be more than a few hundred feet from each other on the same deck, OR we could be on different decks but directly above or below each other on the same exact section of the ship (in fact, that's when the walkie talkies seemed to work best).

 

In my opinion, they're not worth the money.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Tapi

[Charmdmsure]

We tried them on our first cruise (specifically the FRS radios).

 

They don't work if either person is on a different deck, or separated by a metal wall or floor (almost anyplace on the ship other than the open deck).

 

They also tend to annoy your fellow cruisers.

 

They have more value when you're ashore, if you're not going to be together.

 

The FRS radios are cheap, small and light.

 

You're welcome to borrow mine for your cruise, and see if you like them. Send me an e-mail at:

 

motorlessons - at - hotmail - dot - com

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

This was an amazing offer and very kind. I'm sorry that in FOUR YEARS ago no one has made mention of your generosity

[latunxitom]

They tend to just be disturbing to others.

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks

 

 

Please don't bring your walkie talkie radios to either Australia or New Zealand

its against the law to have them in your possession here (unless they are Australian / NZ Type approved)

Not only can you not use them but just having them in your possession is an offense which is taken very seriously

 

Other countries have similar laws which you should check out first , and if you are flying some airlines will demand you stow the batteries in special containers if the devices use batteries containing lithium.

 

And as has been said by others they will not work very well inside the ship.

 

 

This does not apply to licensed amateurs who may operate their HT's on 2 mtrs or 70cm and there are many repeater systems in a number of ports in the area you can access

 

 

regards

john

[dwhe]

This was an amazing offer and very kind. I'm sorry that in FOUR YEARS ago no one has made mention of your generosity

 

Have you got nothing better to do than bump 4 year old threads :mad:

[rnrcruzin]

Me I like carrying the PRC-77 and KY-38 for secure comm

 

Pete

 

A little tough to fit in your pocket.;)